Chapter 678
It’s a relief that the Southern Demon Empress is nowhere in sight, but there are two supreme masters.
Damn it, I don’t know.
Whether I should call this situation fortunate. Or unfortunate.
‘Shiiing, kwagwang!’
Having dodged the black Fist Aura that rushed in like a beam of light by a hair’s breadth, I righted myself and sighed.
“Ah, the chivalry of the martial world has fallen to the ground. Where has the virtue of the Murim, of yielding the first three moves for a Hubae, disappeared to?”
“What?”
Of the two old men, the short, stout one with disheveled hair blinked and stared at me.
The words he had just heard must have been so absurd that even the fist he was about to throw in a follow-up attack after his preemptive strike was now lowered meekly.
“The chivalry of the martial world? Yielding the first three moves for a Hubae?”
I lowered my voice and answered.
“That is correct.”
“What’s with the sudden formal speech and nonsense? Just a moment ago, you were telling us to fight you one at a time and for one of us to stay back.”
“Us? Did I say that?”
“Now it’s polite speech again. Either stick to the informal speech from before, or unify it with the formal tone. It’s confusing.”
“Forgive me. This humble Hubae failed to recognize his esteemed Sunbaes and committed a discourtesy.”
As I even cupped my fist in a picture-perfect posture, confusion filled the disheveled old man’s eyes.
“At this point, it’s starting to get confusing. You, you’re not by any chance the Fire King’s successor, the Blazing Fire Divine Dragon Jin Taekyung, are you?”
“I am.”
“Then that means you’re just an Orthodox Sect brat in the end, so it’s ridiculous to hear you go on about being a Hubae.”
“What a disappointing thing to say. If we are in the martial world, are we not all fellow martial artists, one family? And the Blazing Flame Sect is originally a sect of Orthodox-Heretic Alignment, so we don’t discriminate against the Orthodox, Heretic and Demonic and get along well with everyone.”
“And a guy like that is serving as the Martial Arts Alliance Leader?”
His eyes already looked like they had lost it, but it seemed his brain was at least still minimally functional.
However, a true master maintains their composure in any situation.
Even at the disheveled old man’s sharp question, I answered without a single change in my expression.
“Actually, I’m a double agent.”
“A double agent?”
“Yes.”
“Bullshit.”
“Woof.”
“This is driving me crazy.”
“I understand how you must feel. But I swear to the heavens, it is the truth without a single shred of falsehood.”
“You bastard…”
“You called, old Sunbae.”
The disheveled old man, who had been staring blankly at my polite demeanor, opened his mouth with an impressed expression.
“You’re spouting bullshit with such painstaking devotion. In all my life, I’ve never seen an Orthodox Sect bastard like you.”
I scratched the back of my head shyly.
“Fucking bastard. Then at least pretend to be fooled for the sake of my effort.”
“You crazy kid. I have to be able to be fooled to be fooled.”
“It’s embarrassing enough as it is, so stop it, you idiot.”
“…Your tongue is far too short. I’m sure I was an old Sunbae just a moment ago.”
“Has the old man gone senile? A piece of trash from the heretic demonic path who should have died during the Great War of Justice and Evil, where do you think you’re getting off being called Sunbae?”
At the refreshing torrent of curses, the disheveled old man, who had been staring blankly for a moment, cackled.
“So you were a complete madman, huh? Truly worthy of being the Fire King’s disciple.”
“Strangely, every guy I meet says that. Even though they’ve never even seen the Fire King’s face.”
The disheveled old man, who had paused for a moment, let out a snort of laughter.
“How amusing. Truly amusing. For a mere blood clot of a boy who has just passed his coming-of-age to dare speak of those times.”
“I don’t know. I feel like I know even if I didn’t live through it.”
I shrugged and continued.
“If a bastard like you had met him, you’d already be dead and gone. In other words, you’re a lucky bastard who survived by avoiding the Fire King.”
“But, I think that luck runs out today.”
‘Sseuk.’
I raised the en energy in my hand and aimed it at the bastard, no, the bastards. A heat haze shimmered from the pure white spearhead imbued with Scorching Yang Energy.
“Western Yao Tribe. Was it your doing?”
‘Udeuk.’
The smile now gone from his face, the disheveled old man clenched his fist and stepped forward.
“Yes, I did it.”
“I figured. For some reason, I had a feeling it would be. Only a madman would kill people like that. What about Heukung and Yohee?”
“For now, we have them treated with care. Once the Demon Queen returns, the tenacious lives of those two will come to an end.”
I was relieved by the two facts the enemy had confirmed himself.
“Thanks for the sweet info. First, the Southern Demon Empress, that bitch isn’t here. And those two are fine.”
Only then did the disheveled old man’s face harden as he realized he had said something he didn’t need to.
“…Nothing changes because of that. Even if the Demon Queen is not here, you will die at my hands.”
“Then why did you two come holding hands? Were you scared you’d get your ass beat by a kid, so you brought your Hyung?”
“This damn brat…”
‘Jeobeok.’
One step forward, unable to contain his anger. To others, it might not seem like much, but that one step was exactly what I needed right now.
‘Now.’
But the next moment, I had no choice but to stop the spear I was about to swing with all my might.
‘Teok.’
It was because a long, withered hand, like a tree branch, had grabbed the shoulder of the disheveled old man who had just taken a step.
“It’s a tactic to provoke the us. Don’t be played by his glib tongue.”
He’s finally stepped up.
A cold voice and expression. Baek Sang was second to none when it came to being cold, but the slender old man who had not said a word the entire time was even more so. No, even if their nature was the same, the depth was different.
Both the glacial, hard, and cold composure, and the martial prowess that resided within his body.
‘I can’t see the end of him.’
The meaning of this intuition was clear.
He was at least my equal, or perhaps even greater.
That was why, although it was the disheveled old man I had been conversing with directly, my attention had been focused on that man from the very beginning.
And it seemed the same was true for him.
“Quite impressive. No, the word impressive is far from enough.”
The slender old man stepped forward with an exclamation that was hard to read any emotion from.
“To disturb an opponent’s mind with just a few words and seize an advantage by exploiting an opening… Now I understand why the Demon Queen warned us to be wary of you. To possess such martial prowess that belies your age, and even cunning on top of that, you will become a great obstacle in the future.”
“Am I just thinking too negatively of a simple compliment? It sounds like you’re saying you’ll kill me no matter what.”
“Then you have understood correctly. Both the compliment and the intention to kill.”
“Then since you’ve complimented me, why not just pass by quietly? Is there really a need to pull out the stone?”
“Only by pulling out the stone embedded in the middle of the road can the path ahead become smooth, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Are you both skilled enough for that?”
“Bastard! Will you not shut your mouth!”
Unlike the disheveled old man whose face contorted at the casually thrown provocation, the slender old man replied in a cold voice.
“We will have to do our best.”
Damn it.
Suddenly, I had a feeling, no, a conviction that this would be a very difficult fight.
If a mad dog goes on a rampage, you can just beat it to death with a club.
But an enemy who maintains their composure in any situation and does not look down on their opponent… can’t help but be tricky.
Especially if that enemy is a possessor of martial prowess that is by no means inferior to my own.
‘If I were to fight him one-on-one to the death, the odds of winning would be fifty-fifty. But that situation won’t happen.’
In a bloody battle where life and death are decided by a hair’s breadth, even a cat’s paw is a help. What’s more, the skill of the disheveled old man, as I had grasped it, was a cut above Baek Sang.
‘Can I do it? Can I.’
Just as that single question brought on by instinct flashed through my mind.
—’Grrrrr…’
Muyaho bared its teeth and let out a wary growl.
But in its posture, crouched low and ready to pounce at any moment, there was not a hint of retreat.
Yeah, fuck it. Even a speechless beast is willing to fight, so how can I, a human, back down?
The only thing that bothers me, though, is the intuition that this time, I might not be able to protect it.
‘I’m sorry.’
—’Grrr.’
I don’t know. If that clever white tiger read the meaning in my eyes. If it knows my wish for it, at least, to run far away.
But this much is certain.
I will either die here, or I will kill them.
Regardless of the outcome, I will not back down.
‘Jeobeok.’
“I’ve never heard of you guys’ names anyway, so go suck your dicks that don’t even get hard anymore, and each of you spit out your titles.”
Towards me, who had let Baek Sang hang loosely, the disheveled old man opened his mouth with a murderous smile.
“Black Hand Demon Fist.”
“Right, seeing as our Black Hand’s title is unfamiliar, you really were a nobody.”
“There were circumstances. But now, the whole world will know. Because it will be the title of the one who killed the Blazing Fire Dragon.”
“I don’t know about that. They’ll find out even without that method. All the guys who die by my hand end up famous.”
I replied calmly, ignoring the Black Hand Demon Fist who was about to fly into a rage, and turned my gaze.
But contrary to my hopes, the slender old man who met my eyes shook his head slightly.
“There is no enemy easier to grasp than one whose title is known. Is that not so? Blazing Fire Dragon Jin Taekyung.”
“I know you, and you do not know me. However, one of us will fall here. If you are prepared, then come.”
Damn it. As expected, this isn’t easy.
But the die has already been cast.
And now, it is time to check the roll.
I awoke the Fire Dragon coiled in my lower dantian.
‘Gugugugung-!’
The energy that erupted from my entire body like a volcanic explosion shook the surroundings, and layers of blue-white flames were overlaid on the transparent spearhead made of ten-thousand-year-old cold iron, completely enveloping the spear.
‘Hwareuk. Chjujuju!’
A terrible heat that burned poison and evaporated moisture.
At the aura I was emitting, the focus of the Black Hand Demon Fist, which had been hazy like a drunkard’s, became clear, and a Mystic Light flashed in the eyes of the old man, which had been frozen like eternal snow.
“Indeed…!”
‘Sseuk.’
And at that moment, along with a short exclamation, a blade revealed from under a loose sleeve glinted with a ghastly blue light.
‘Shwaaaaak!’
The two Twin Wheels that left the old man’s hands tore through space and flew towards me.
‘ ‘ ‘
‘Shwishwishwishwish!’
They ran without rest.
Even when the three tigers became two, and the five people became four, that fact did not change.
No, that was why they had to press on even faster.
They had come too far to turn back the way they came. If they turned back here, ‘his’ choice and sacrifice would be for naught.
And perhaps thanks to him, no, thanks to Jin Taekyung’s efforts, there were no obstacles blocking their path.
The tigers carrying the four people on their backs galloped north, and north again, before the carrier pigeons sent from the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace could even arrive, as the warriors of each tribe were busy chasing Jin Taekyung.
‘Shwishwishwishwish!’
They crossed fields, passed over mountains, and traversed swamps and rivers.
And finally… the first goal of this short but urgent journey began to come into view.
“There!”
Nam Ho’s shout was directed down the hill.
Far in the distance, were several hundred Southern Barbarian warriors heading towards the northern border in a long line.
Having finally caught up with the scouting party, they felt a sense of relief and simultaneously thought of one person’s face.
‘Jin Taekyung.’
Their Pavillion Leader, who they did not know where he was or what he was doing right now.